Smarter Home Security With These 3 Products | NewsWatch Review

Tech Review

Companies around the globe have taken your traditional home appliances – locks, thermostats, and lights and turned them into smart connected devices. Meaning, you can not only access them remotely on your phone, tablet, or computer, but also that they’re more than just lock or a light, they’ve got integrated functions. So a light can be an alarm, a thermostat can be a smoke detector, or a lock can be an entry device, not just a security device.

One product that is changing homes around the world is Maximus Smart Security Light. Beyond being just an aesthetic, decorative light the Maximus is a smart light – Meaning it can be controlled remotely, set on a timer, and be motion-activated. We’ve seen that before but what makes this product unique is its built-in security system. The built-in HD camera starts recording when it detects motion. It can detect motion up to 6 feet away. Once it detects someone you receive a notification on your phone or tablet through the app so you’re always able to keep an eye on your home. You can then interact and talk with the person and determine whether they’re friend or foe. You even have the option of prerecording a message that plays when someone approaches the door. The video recording stays in the cloud allowing you to check who has been at your house. There is also a feature that allows you to sound an alarm from the mobile app if you see a burglar or someone unwanted at your door.

The Maximus comes in four different designs with more coming soon, including a companion light. It is compatible with iOS and Android devices and you can purchase the Maximus light at homedepot.com for $199. If you are not satisfied, home depot allows returns for up to 90 days after the purchase. Check out homedepot.com today to learn more.

As you hit the house, there are smart locks. Smart locks are pretty interesting gadgets because they allow you to ditch the key and secure your home with a touchpad or in some instances your phone. One that’s ranked at the top of the list is the Yale Security YRD240.

It’s a slick looking hard acrylic touchscreen keypad lock that runs on 4 double-A batteries. It’s weather resistant so it can be used on your front door or inside an apartment complex if you don’t have….well, a front door. Now we installed it on this nifty fake door in about 5 minutes with only a screw driver, so that was nice. And it instantly started working. It’s keyfree, which initially seemed like a negative to me in case the battery dies while you’re away for extended periods, but they have a backup where if you take a 9 volt battery and touch the bottom of the door, then enter the pin, you can still unlock the door.

You can also store up to 25 user codes, and if you connect it to a home control system you can get up to 250. Speaking of connecting it to a home control system, you can get some pretty cool additions there like remote locking and unlocking on your phone or tablet or history of who has opened and unlocked the door, and a ton of other cool content. It’s a very good looking and cool addition to a smart home – you can find this guy for around $167 on Amazon.

Walking into the home, let’s talk thermostats. The Nest Thermostat, a product that’s owned by google now, has changed how we monitor and control the temperature of our house. Their latest generation is still helping people save money on their energy bills and is most effective at learning your heat and cooling patterns. If you like it cool at night and turned off during the day, you set it a few times the first week of owning it, and then suddenly it learns how you act and does it automatically. It can also connect to your Nest Protect, a smoke detector, and your DropCam for security purposes. The nest is available on nest.com for $249. So there you have it, three cool gadgets you can easily install in your home to make it a completely connected home for around $600.